1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming a condensed area in a suit jacket, for example. By using the device and method of the present invention, a garment maker can eliminate the need to fold or cut and stitch a tuck in an article of clothing as is conventionally known.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 1,042,715 to Mrock discloses a machine for shirring cloth or other material. The machine comprises a plurality of slide blocks placed in rows and columns. Each individual block includes an upwardly projecting needle securely mounted on the block. Each block is designed to slide upon a guide bar which in turn is directly coupled with a journaled shaft having a hand crank at one end thereof. By turning the hand crank, the series of blocks can be spaced from one another equidistantly. A piece of cloth is then placed upon the needles so that the needles project through the cloth. The hand crank is turned, moving all the blocks toward one another thereby compacting the material for puckering or shirring. Once the cloth has been puckered or shirred, a backing material is secured to the cloth by sewing, for example, so as to maintain the puckered or shirred design of the cloth.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,209,904 to Swartz discloses a device for making ornamental lining for receptacles. The device includes a plurality of elongated rectilinear bars having on each bar a plurality of pins such that the pins of one bar are offset with respect to the pins of an adjacent bar. A pair of journaled shafts are coupled to each end of each bar so that each bar can be spaced away from or positioned adjacent to the neighboring bars. In making the ornamental lining, a piece of fabric is positioned over the plurality of bars when the bars are spread apart the maximum distance permitted by the device. A plurality of weights are then employed to force the lining down over each pin thereby forming a plurality of pyramid shapes. The elongated bars are then forced toward one another to puff the cloth or lining. A backing material is then stitched to the cloth to maintain the puffed shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,733,353 to Maulsby et al discloses a device for forming a decorative design into fabric suitable for the lining of caskets and the like. This device includes a plurality of spaced apart blocks which are slidably mounted upon a plurality of elongated slide bars. At least some of the blocks have one or more pins secured thereto and projecting upwardly. Lastly, each elongated bar, which is arranged in parallel relationship on a frame to the remaining bars, may be adjusted away from or toward each other by a lazy tong mechanism. In using the device, the bars are moved or spaced apart, equally, the maximum distance permitted by the lazy tongs. A piece of cloth is positioned over the plurality of blocks and the pins project through the cloth or lining in order to hold the lining in position. The lazy tongs are then manipulated so that the plurality of bars are shifted toward one another thereby bringing the slide blocks toward one another to puff the material. Once the material has been puffed, a backing cloth is tacked by stitching to the puffed cloth so that the cloth will retain its shape when removed from the device.
While the above prior art devices disclose apparatus and method for forming ornamental cloth in a puffed or shirred fashion, these devices are not suitable for forming a condensed portion of cloth which will be smooth and sufficiently uniform to omit the necessity of forming a tuck in the conventional manner.
Accordingly, it is the primary aim of the present invention to eliminate the need for a conventional tuck created by folding or cutting and stitching two pieces of material to one another to thereby condense an area or portion of cloth and instead condense the area or portion of cloth by gathering the cloth in a plurality of small bunches, about 1/8-inch, in a consistent manner and maintain the cloth in the condensed form.